No drugs in Richmond girl's blood, Peninsula coroner says

HALF MOON BAY -- Toxicology testing turned up no illegal or prescription drugs in the blood of a 16-year-old Albany High School girl whose body washed onto a San Mateo County beach last month, the San Mateo County coroner said Thursday.

However, the cause of Richmond resident Cathy Qiu's death still remains undetermined as police wrap up the investigation into her disappearance. Investigators haven't found any indication of foul play, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.

Testing also revealed Qiu's body had a 0.06 blood alcohol concentration, but it's impossible to say if that's the result of drinking or decomposition, Foucrault said. Qiu's body was discovered Oct. 21 on San Gregorio beach, about 11 miles south of Half Moon Bay. Authorities believed she'd been in the water for two to five days.

Qiu's family reported her missing Sept. 27, and she was considered a runaway, police said. The girl, who carried a 4.25 grade-point average and was on the tennis team, had also disappeared in April. In that case, authorities found her in Colorado and sent her home.